Officially, after working from home since March, I miss going to the office. I don’t even mind the traffic jams and ever-present AC issues just to get a break from home. I never thought this day would come, but here it is! Like me, many of us, I’m sure are getting jittery sitting at home, working for hours, and still feeling a loss of accomplishment. So, here’s my way of tackling these work from home moods I have!
An all-inclusive to-do list
You think you have a lot of time on your hands. So, in the beginning, even I created a lot of to-do lists. From vision boards to goals and plans, I planned well. But, there are days you just don’t want to do things no matter how exciting they are.
That’s when I revised my strategy and made several to-do lists. From books I want to read and music I want to hear, to mundane things like downloading my albums or cleaning the house in phases.
Now when you’re not in the mood to achieve big, pick from these lists inclusive of self-pampering (a home-spa day is just the thing when you’re low), movies to watch (lazy days for binge-watching), and cleaning (when you’re super energetic but don’t want to use your brain.
Now, see how you feel when you tick items from these lists. You’ll still feel great. I did!
Mood shifters
There are days where I don’t feel like doing anything (Bruno Mars Lazy song style) but you can’t ignore a deadline or some tasks that are crucial. Now, where do you go to get a switch to turn your mood right back to work? Try activating one of these: meditation, music, yoga, exercise, a stroll in the park, phone a friend.
I usually play happy music in the mornings to kick start a bleak day. Or trying reading some inspirational books. Sometimes when I’m really troubled, deep breathing really helps. If nothing helps, a bar of chocolate or a donut gives me the sugar boost in my system (not healthy but definitely works).
Channeling your energy
This is one trick I learned from Kung Fu Panda—channeling your energy to get work done. No, I’m not talking about Chi. Inner peace at this time is a far off dream for me, but I feel a lot of emotions—happy, sad, annoyed, excited. So, I ensure I pick up that energy and focus it on a task I need to complete. For example, when I’m angry, I exercise. That’s my venue of letting out anger versus yelling at someone or generally taking out my anger any other way.
When I’m jittery with sitting at home for too long, I either clean the house or try out a new dish. During days when I’m low, I either paint or write. Emotions bring out a powerful expression and intensity in your work.
Allowing yourself a break
These days I find myself eating late, taking shorter breaks, drinking less water. Those were things that gave me a break from work like a tea break with colleagues, or a general discussion or even friendly banter. So, I found myself putting in more hours than normal, ending up exhausted, still feeling bereft of that feeling of accomplishment.
Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to rest. Even work from home can be stressful. Make sure you take your regular breaks, unwind, relax, and let yourself calm down.
It is okay to have these moods. Just identify them and acknowledge them. Take time to talk to someone about it. Don’t feel like you’re unproductive. Even a machine needs to be shut down from time to time for it to work normally. 🙂